Amber Heard’s sister has lashed out at MTV following Johnny Depp’s surprise appearance at the music channel's Video Music Awards.
On Sunday night (August 28), right after Lizzo’s stunning performance, the 59-year-old Pirates of the Caribbean actor made a quick cameo as the face of the Moon Person trophy.
During the brief clip, which saw his face edited into the astronaut figure’s helmet, Depp said: "I just want you guys to know I’m available for birthdays, bat mitzvahs, weddings, wakes - any old thing you need," adding: "I needed the work".
It's safe to say his appearance divided viewers - including his former sister-in-law, Whitney Henriquez, who branded the music channel as "desperate" and "disgusting" on her Instagram story.
"@MTV you’re disgusting and clearly desperate! I really hope that none of the people that made this call have daughters," Henriquez wrote over an image of the 36-year-old Aquaman actress, along with the headline: "DVMAs I stand with Amber Heard"
"DV" is an abbreviation for domestic violence - which was the accusation from each party that was at the center of the former couple's highly publicized court case. "DVMAS" is an apparent reference to the Domestic Violence Myth Acceptance Scale, per The University of Maine.
The surprise TV appearance came two months after the Edwards Scissorhands star's courtroom victory over his ex-wife, who was subsequently ordered to pay Depp more than $10 million in compensatory damages and a further $350,000 in capped punitive damages as a result.
Depp won his legal case against Heard after the 2018 op-ed she wrote for The Washington Post, where she claimed that she was a victim of domestic abuse.
Despite not naming Depp in the piece, his lawyers argued that Heard ruined his reputation with the implication that he abused her during their relationship - including a March 2015 incident known as the "staircase incident", which Henriquez testified for.
Heard's sister alleged while on the stand that Depp struck her in the back while he was at the top of a staircase, grabbed Heard by the hair, and hit her before disparaging her wardrobe.
After six weeks of testimonies from both sides, on June 1, the seven jurors in Fairfax, Virginia, unanimously found Heard guilty of defamation on all three counts. After the ruling, Henriquez shared a statement on Instagram, writing: "I still stand with you, sissy."
"Yesterday, today, and tomorrow I will always be proud of you for standing up for yourself, for testifying both here in Virginia and in the UK, and for being the voice of so many who can’t speak to the things that happen behind closed doors," she continued.
"We knew that this was going to be an uphill battle and that the cards were stacked against us. But you stood up and spoke out regardless," she added.
"I am so honored to testify for you, and I would do it a million times over because I know what I saw and because the truth is forever on your side," Henriquez concluded.